Manure effluent from farm animals and humans is a significant cause of environmental pollution in regard to the leaching of nutrients into water ways and ground water. Particularly hazardous to the environment are nitrates and phosphates which kill fish and cause algal blooms as well as rendering the water too toxic for human and animal consumption. Disposal of these manures also causes release of offensive odours, promotes fly breeding, and releases toxic levels of pathogenic bacteria into soil and water.
A major health concern for animals and humans is the release of viable antibiotics into soils and waterways by the disposal of effluent from humans and animals which have ingested antibiotics. The use of antibiotics is widespread and common in intensive livestock operations. The resident bacteria (including micro-organisms) diverse populations in the soil and water that are exposed to antibiotics rapidly develop antibiotic resistant strains. These resident naturally occurring bacteria can also harvest Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) from dead bacteria which have been exposed to antibiotics and construct antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. These antibiotic resistant bacteria then extend throughout the environment and food chain, replicating and increasing in population density and displacing the less harmful antibiotic sensitive species. If there is continued exposure of soil and water borne bacteria and micro-organisms to antibiotics or the DNA of dead bacteria or dead micro-organisms, the percentage of bacteria or micro-organisms with antibiotic resistant characteristics will reach a threshold where there is a population explosion. If this happens then antibiotics will be useless as a tool to prevent disease and infections in humans and animals which could lead to a world wide pandemic. There is already strains of antibiotic resistant staphylococci bacteria (commonly known as Golden Staph) resident in hospitals where it is proving difficult to remove.
The present invention seeks to overcome at least some of the above mentioned disadvantages.